Rail-joint



(No Model.)

*J'QL. POPE.

- RAIL JOINT.

No. 568,699 Patented Sept. 29, 1896;

//v VENTQR WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JOHN L. POPE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,699, dated September 29, 1896.

Serial No. 574,682. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. POPE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to devices employed in fastening together the ends of railway-rails; and it consists in plates which hold each other firmly in place and in contact with the rail without the use of bolts or other securing devices.

Figure 1 in the accompanying drawings shows a top View of my joint. Fig. 2 shows a cross-sectional View on line 6 6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents the manner of applying the plates to the rails.

I am aware that rail-j oints have been made with chairs having inwardly-inclined flanges and wedge-shaped fish-plates, but the elementary characteristics of my joint are quite different, in that the under plate in my joint does not rest upon ties or other abutments, and consequently does not perform the function of a rail-chair in supporting the rails. It has been fully demonstrated in practice that such rigid support is a great detriment, as it serves as an anvil to batter the ends of the rails and to wear the plates on account of causing a movement of the parts of contact. Again, joint-chairs having upwardlyprojecting flanges on their outer edges are practically inoperative on account of the difficulties and expense attending their use. They cannot be applied or removed from the rails without removing either the rails or the ties, and because the joint-ties must be placed lower than the others.

It will be readily understood that in the rail-joint which I have described the plates are practically integral with the rails, i. 6., the plates reciprocate to any motion of the rails, thereby preventing wear of the surfaces of contact. Again, such plates can be easily and quickly applied to the rails or removed therefrom without disturbing either the rails or the ties.

Like symbols of reference indicate like parts in each of the Views.

Thus in each drawing 2 represents the rails,

3 indicates a plate beneath the rails having -to go between the ties.

The fish-plates 5 5 have a portion of their outer ed ges,which extend over the foot of the rails, beveled to the same angle as the inner surfaces of the flanges of the under plate 3. Said surfaces are also formed lengthwise on an angle to the body of the plates, so that the middle of the lower parts of said plates are wedge-shaped. I

In Fig. 3 the narrow ends of the wedge portions of the fish-plates are shown between the flanges of the under plate and the rails. There is sufficient room between the flanges of the under plate to allow the upper portions of the fish-plates to pass under the head of of the rails when all the plates are at the relative points of contact represented in this drawing.

sition the fish-plates are held firmly against the rails by the flanges of the under plate, and because of the angle of the surfaces of contact of the plates the under plate is supported and held firmly against the bottom of the rails by the fish-plates.

Various modifications can be made of my invention without departing therefrom, since What I claim isl. Ina rail-joint, aplate extending beneath the rails, between the ties, having flanges projecting upwardly on the outer side of the rails, their inner surfaces which bear only against the outer edges of the angle-plates being formed at an acute vertical angle to the plate, their top portions being far enough apart to allow the plate to be placed in position after the rails are laid, and angle-plates extending over the ties (but not resting thereon) having the bearing portion of the outer edges of their horizontal parts formed at an angle longitudinally to the body of the plates, the same surfaces being beveled vertically to correspond with the inner faces of the flanges of the under plate upon which they bear.

2. In a rail-joint, aplate extending beneath the rails, between the ties, having flanges projecting upwardly on the outer side of the rail, their inner surfaces which bear only against the outer edges of the angle-plates being formed at an acute vertical angle to the plate, their top portions being far enough apart to allow the plate to be placed in position after the rails are laid, and angle-plates extending over the ties (but not resting thereon) having the center of the outer edges of their horizontal parts formed at an angle longitudinally to the body of the plates, the same surfaces being beveled vertieall y to correspond to the inner faces of the flanges of the under plate upon which they bear, the end portions of said plate, at a distance from the under plate, extending laterally over the joint-ties.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 6th day of J annary, 1896.

JOHN L. POPE. lVitnesses:

JAMES LAWRENCE, C. J. EsTEr. 

